The invention relates generally to an electronic transceiver assembly, and more particularly, to a heat sink assembly for transceivers pluggable into a receptacle module.
Various types of fiber optic and copper based transceivers that permit communication between electronic host equipment and external devices are known. These transceivers may be incorporated into modules that can be pluggably connected to the host equipment to provide flexibility in system configuration. The modules are constructed according to various standards for size and compatibility, one standard being the Small Form-factor Pluggable (SFP) module standard.
The SFP module is plugged into a receptacle that is mounted on a circuit board within the host equipment. The receptacle includes an elongated guide frame, or cage, having a front that is open to an interior space, and an electrical connector disposed at a rear of the cage within the interior space. Both the connector and the guide frame are electrically and mechanically connected to the circuit board, and when an SFP module is plugged into a receptacle it is electrically and mechanically connected to the circuit board as well. Conventional SFP modules and receptacles perform satisfactorily carrying data signals at rates up to 2.5 gigabits per second (Gbs).
A standard currently in development for a next generation of SFP modules, presently being called the XFP standard, calls for the transceiver modules to carry data signals at rates up to 10 Gbs. Transceiver modules conforming to the XFP Standard and the surrounding circuitry will generate significantly greater quantities of heat to be removed in order for the electronic components to survive long term in comparison to previous module standards.
U.S. application Ser. No. 10/382,208, filed Mar. 5, 2003, titled “Pluggable Electronic Module and Receptacle with Heat Sink”, is directed toward a receptacle assembly that includes a guide frame having top, bottom and side walls joined to form an interior cavity configured to receive an electrical module. One of the top, bottom and side walls has an opening therethrough, and a heat sink is mounted over the opening. The heat sink has an engagement surface located proximate the interior cavity of the guide frame, and the engagement surface of the heat sink is configured to physically contact the electric module when installed in the interior cavity. The heat sink dissipates heat generated in the module and facilitates a data transmission rate of 10 Gbs through the assembly.